Organizers of a Pride Week panel talk at the Portland Public Library say that participants involved in gay and lesbian organizations in Maine in the 1970s helped create the groundwork for same-sex marriage efforts today.

PRIDE PORTLAND CONTINUES WITH A CELEBRATION OF L-G- B-T HISTORY. FIVE ACTIVISTS WHO HELPED SHAPE THE L-G-B-T MOVEMENT IN MAINE BACK IN THE 70'SSERVED ON A PANEL TONIGHT. THEY SHARED LESSONS LEARNED AND WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE MOVEMENT...WHICH WAS INFLUENCED BY THE EQUALITY MOVEMENTS BEFORE IT...INCLUDING THOSE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND WOMEN. ORGANIZERS SAY THESE FIVE LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR GAY MARRIAGE ACTIVISTS TODAY. 08:35:13 who we are as a community is about the people who did the work before us- the fight for equality- and most recently we think about the fight for marriage equality, but the fact that people in the 70's had to fight to be who they were on the streets." 35:33 THE EVENT WAS ONE OF 22 TAKING PLACE OVER TEN DAYS IN PORTLAND TO CELEBRATE THE GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY.